Classic French Beef Bourguignon
Fork-tender beef in a rich red-wine gravy nestled with veggies makes the Beef Bourguignon one of the most acclaimed French recipes around the world. As its name suggests, this beef stew originates from Burgundy (Bourgogne), a French region prized for producing exceptional cattle meat as well as red wine, which are both the star ingredients of this local dish. Beef Bourguignon is rich, earthy and indulgent. It’s simply everything you want in a bowl of Winter comfort food. French slow-cooking at its best Making a Classic French Beef Bourguignon at…
- Prep time
- 30 min
- Cook time
- 3 hr
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2.5 to 3 lbs (1.1-1.4 kg) stewing beef, cubed
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp fresh ground black pepper 4 tbsp (57g) unsalted butter, divided
- 8 ounces cured pork or 5-6 slices bacon, cut in fine strips
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- 10 pearl onions, peeled 4-5 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 cups (500ml) red wine
- 2 tbsp (30ml) brandy
- 2 cups (500ml) beef broth
- 2 tbsp (50g) tomato paste
- ¼ cup (32g) flour
- Optional: 6-7 sprigs parsley, for garnish
- For the mushrooms:
- 2 tbsp (28.5g) unsalted butter 1lb (0.45kg) cremini mushrooms, quartered
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Step 1 - About 2 hours before cooking, pat the beef cubes dry with paper towels and season them well with salt and black pepper. Let rest to near room temperature.
- 2
Step 2 - On the stove top over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a Dutch-oven. Add the bacon strips and cook for about 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fully cooked and lightly crisp. Set aside, leaving the fat drippings in the Dutch-Oven.
- 3
Pre-heat your oven to 325°F ( 163°C) with a rack in the middle.
- 4
Step 3 - Working in batches, add the beef cubes to the Dutch-oven and brown them, about 3 minutes on each side. Be careful not to overcrowd or overlap any meat cubes or they won’t brown properly. It should take about 3 to 4 batches to brown 2 ½ lbs of beef. Transfer the browned beef to a separate bowl or plate.
- 5
Step 4 - Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the Dutch-oven and add the garlic, carrots, pearl onions, thyme and bay leaves. Cook for 6-7 minutes, until the onions are glistening.
- 6
Step 5 - Add the beef and bacon back in the Dutch-oven. Add the tomato paste and sprinkle with the flour. Stir all the ingredients until no dry flour is visible. Pour in the red wine, brandy and beef stock so the meat is barely covered. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 1 hour 30 minutes in the oven.
- 7
While the stew cooks in the oven - Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, season to taste with salt and black pepper, and cook for about 10 minutes, until the mushrooms are cooked and lightly browned.
- 8
Take the Beef Bourguignon out of the oven and stir in the mushrooms. Return the pot to the oven for 30 more minutes. Take the Beef Bourguignon out of the oven, adjust seasoning if needed (salt, pepper). Let the Beef Bourguignon sit for 15 minutes before serving.
- 9
- 10